St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-01
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CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
The present chamber of commerce of
st. Paul dates its Incorporated existence
from the 10th day of January, 1867, when
articles of incorporation were filed with
the register of deeds of Ramsey county.
Previous to that time, however, there
had been organizations of it's citizens
for generally special purposes and to
accomplish specific ends, and, after the
business which called it into existence
was dispatched, it would fall into quiet
diSuetude, to become active again when
the interests of the city or state seemed
to be in jeopardy or needed the active
assistance OF the business men of the
city. Among the early acts and deeds
of its primitive existence may
be mentioned the securing the
large land grants from congress
to commence our present system of rail
ways, the Issue of the 5000, 900 loan,
which, like the kings of Israel, Brought
forth both curses as well as blessings.
The bill for the removal of the capital
to st. Peter, however, brought forth the
organized effort Of the city in its best
capacity and demonstrated the value of
compact organized effort and its power
to resist injustice from legislative &C
ton. 1t was probably the remembrance
Of the success Of this effort that con-
tributed moro than any one thing to
fix in the minds Of the men participant
ing therein the value Of cohesive, organ
lied effort i'll the npbuilding of a great
city. Then during the war there were
many organizations for the purposes of
assisting in raising volunteers and main
tanning the many works of charity car
ried On in the field. The war furnished
business sufficient without organization
in that behalf. -
At the time mentioned in the
beginning Of this article it was plainly to
be seen that to build great city in the
lifetime Of those who were not even Their
young, it required the establishment of
some central authorized body OF men,
free to discuss in public the wants and
needs of tho city, and by its moral force
and representative character tormake
known and enforce its edicts, and to
shapessuch legislative and municipal
laws as should be for its present and
future advantage. >
The primary objects of chamber OF
commerce is to deal mainly with trade,
transportation, banking, and the buying
and selling of merchandise. The st.
Paul chamber, however, has always
taken much wider range OF affairs than
usually receive attention from such
bodies. Municipal affairs and state leg
islatiOn has received a large share of its
attention, and its influence in the former
has been continually felt, and scarcely
any improvements have been carried
forward without first having been dis
cussed publicly and passed upon in the
chamber. Being the taxpayers them
selves, their voice is generally potent as
to the expenditure of the money raised.
Its action in relation to railroads has
from it's inception contributed probably
more than anything else to the upbuild-
ing of the city. st. Paul has always
pursued a liberal policy toward rail-
roads. First by issuing its bonds to the
Lake Superior railroad, and then to the
River road, and latterly its action in re-
latiOn to the Northern Pacific and the
Omaha system, in building the Still
water branch; it has fixed for all time
the stability of the city as the great rail-
road center of the Northwest.
The modern system of river cOnven-
tons that have become so popular re-
Gently had its origin in the st. Paul
chamber of commerce, and suggested a
like system of conventions for the i'm
prOyement of lake navigation. Had the
chamber never done anything else this
act lalOne would justify its existence
and pay its entire expense to the pres
..ent time. -
n, The warehousing and grading of
wheat, its transportation to market
lhage been subjects discussed in the
chamber, and its suggestions largely
enacted into laws.
=, The purchase of the Lake Como and
,Other parks, as well as the present park
commission, had it's conception in the
chamber of commerce. The establish
hielit of railroad shops and manufac-
tories, the shaping of trade in the city,
are continual subjects of its care and
action. The donation of the land to the
State Agricultural society for perma-
'neht fair grounds, the raising of bonuses
sfor the erection of hotels, mills and fac
tories, have all had their origin in it,
and by the liberal use of tho wealth of
its members have been carried forward
to their fruition. The chamber has
raised large sums to entertain scientific
and other societies of national reputa-
ton, and by such means spread abroad
a knowledge of our city, state and eli
mate as could not otherwise have been
done.
But among all the acts and deeds of
the st. Paul chamber Of commerce that
rebound to its credit is the enormous
sums it raised, or caused to be raised,
for the relief of other cities and COM
munities which have met with ealam-
ity. commencing with the Chicago fire,
where, under the influence of the tax
payers represented by the chamber of